EMN Finland Conference 2025
Integration and employment of migrants:
The effectiveness of early-stage integration services
Helsinki, 19.11.2025
Radisson Blu Seaside
(Ruoholahdenranta 3, 00180 Helsinki)
(Online participation also available)
Register for the conference here:
Download the conference programme and concept note here:
Finland’s population structure is changing. The birth rate has been steadily declining, the population is ageing and the number of people with immigrant backgrounds is increasing due to global migration. Migration as a phenomenon and immigrants have become a permanent part of Finnish society, and people are increasingly moving to Finland for work, study and family-related reasons. Consequently, the importance of promoting immigrant integration has also increased further.
At the beginning of 2025 the new Integration Act (681/2023) entered into force, concurrently with the reform of public services aimed at promoting employment and economic development. As a result of the reform, the responsibility for organising integration services was transferred to municipalities and the municipal employment authorities, and the third sector’s role in the promotion of immigrant integration was strengthened.
Impactful early-stage services are particularly important in the overall picture of integration. In order for immigrants to gain sufficient exposure to Finnish society, early-stage integration services must be sufficiently impactful and responsive to needs. As the operating environment for integration is changing, it is important to establish a dialogue between integration actors about challenges and best practices.
The EMN Finland Conference 2025 will examine the changed operating environment of immigrant integration in Finland, as well as the challenges and opportunities it presents. The conference will have a special focus on early-stage integration services and their impact on immigrant integration and employment. As pressure for making savings in public finances is amounting, it is of vital importance to identify the most effective and impactful services in terms of promoting integration and employment. Comprehensive impact assessment allows increasingly scarce public resources to be allocated as efficiently as possible.
The conference will provide an overview of the new set of integration services and the changed role of municipalities. The event will also feature analyses of the subject by international and Finnish experts in immigrant integration, as well as the reflections of experts by experience.
Accessibility
Arrival
There are a few paid parking spaces in front of the hotel. There is also a paid parking garage connected to the hotel, with elevator access to the hotel lobby. The nearest tram stop is located about 200 meters from the hotel.
The conference room is accessed via the hotel’s automated front doors. There is an elevator to the hotel lobby immediately to the right of the entrance. The conference rooms are located on the same floor, on the other side of the lobby. There are clear signs to the rooms.
Conference room
The doorways leading to the conference room (Valimo) have low thresholds of approximately 3 cm. The room has one accessible toilet with a threshold of approximately 3 cm. The toilet is located directly opposite the entrance to the conference room, on the other side of the hall. Another accessible toilet is located in the hotel restaurant on the floor below.
There is no induction loop in the premises. Microphones will be used during the event, and presentation materials will be projected onto two screens. The event will be interpreted from Finnish to English and from English to Finnish. Seats will be reserved in the hall for participants using wheelchairs.
Meals
During the conference, meals will be served in the hotel restaurant, which is accessible by elevator. The elevator lobby is located in the hotel lobby, which can be accessed from the conference venue. There is a threshold of approximately 3 cm between the elevator lobby on the lower floor and the restaurant. Meals in the restaurant will be served buffet style.
For more information on accessibility, please contact the event’s accessibility coordinator:
Runo Rantala runo.rantala@migri.fi
General enquiries: emn@migri.fi